U.S. immigration policy changes, traced to the source

Policy alert: Revocation of Naturalization Referrals

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on referring cases for revocation of naturalization (commonly referred to as “denaturalization”) under section 340 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 12 USCIS-PM L (Citizenship and Naturalization).

Department of Justice Removes Alien Terrorist in First Use of United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court

In the first-ever case before the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), Nazira Haji Zada, 47, an Afghan national previously residing in Fort Worth, Texas, was removed from the United States after conceding that she is an alien terrorist.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for First Half of FY 2027

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received enough petitions to meet the congressionally established H-2B cap for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2027.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Eliminating the Discretionary 60-Day Grace Period

This is a proposal open for comment, not a rule in force. It may never be finalised, and it creates no obligation today.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to remove regulations at 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2) to restore its previous and long- standing policy of not providing aliens in certain nonimmigrant classifications (and their dependents) with an up to 60-day grace period upon cessation of employment prior to the expiration of the alien's authorized period of stay. This proposal restores a direct relationship between an alien's nonimmigrant status and the specific employment or activity that formed the basis of his or her admission or grant of status in the United States and reduces administrative burden.

• This is a PROPOSED rule. It is not in force, may change before finalisation, and may never be finalised.

Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions

This is a proposal open for comment, not a rule in force. It may never be finalised, and it creates no obligation today.

No abstract was published with this document.

• This is a PROPOSED rule. It is not in force, may change before finalisation, and may never be finalised.
• The Federal Register published no abstract for this document; read the original.

Registration of Lawful Permanent Residence for Children Born to Foreign Government Employees in the United States

Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is amending its regulations to permit children born in the United States to "foreign government employees" who are not U.S. citizens to register for permanent residence. DHS is also making corresponding changes to Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status and Form G-325R, Biographic Information (Registration).

Policy alert: Registration of Lawful Permanent Residence for Children Born to Foreign Government Employees in the United States

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address the regulatory changes on the registration of children born to foreign government employees in the United States as lawful permanent residents. Additionally, this update provides definitions for key terminology.

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 7 USCIS-PM O.3; 12 USCIS-PM A.2 (Adjustment of Status; Citizenship and Naturalization).

Court Order on Diversity Immigrant Visa Program Hold Policy

On Aug. 28, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order in Medani, et al., v. Trump, et al., 26-cv-6332 (NDCA), temporarily vacating PM-602-0193 pending further litigation. USCIS is ordered, “to the extent practicable and in good faith, to take all reasonable steps during the remainder of the Diversity Visa fiscal year to resume ordinary adjudication of plaintiffs’ pending adjustment of status applications without applying” PM-602-0193.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

DHS Announces Rule for Certain Children Born in the United States to Foreign Government Employees

The Department of Homeland Security today issued an interim final rule amending its regulations to allow certain children born in the United States to foreign government employees who are not U.S. citizens to register as lawful permanent residents.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Advocates for Human Rights v. Bondi

District Court, District of Columbia issued a decision in Advocates for Human Rights v. Bondi, filed 2026-09-03, docket Civil Action No. 2026-0865. District-court decision in institutional litigation — binds the parties, not the country. The court published no summary with this decision; read the opinion for its holding.

• A district-court decision binds the parties before it. It is not nationwide law, and presenting it as such would seriously mislead — it may be stayed, narrowed, or reversed on appeal.
• A decision's reach can change: appeals, stays, and rehearings all alter what it means in practice. Check the docket before relying on it.
• The court published no summary; this event reports the court, date, docket, and precedential status only. Read the opinion for its holding.
• ImmigrationClock reports decisions that establish or change immigration law. Routine individual petitions, asylum appeals, visa denials, and detainee cases are deliberately excluded — we report the legal rule, not the people in a case.

September 2, 2026. OFLC Announces Updates to Implementation of the H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate Methodology for Non-Range Occupations Interim Final Rule; Compliance with District Court Order

This notice is provided to comply with the August 26, 2026 Order of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California entered in United Farm Workers, et al. v. DOL, et al. , No. 25-cv-01614-KES-EGC (“Order”), requiring the U.S. Department of Labor (the “Department”) to provide...

• OFLC administers the labor-certification step that comes BEFORE a USCIS petition. An OFLC certification is not a visa, not an approval, and not permission to work — it is one prerequisite among several.
• The announcements listing does not publish an effective date as a field. Where an announcement states one, it is in the text of the announcement itself.

Rescission of Coordinated Enforcement Regulations

The Department of Labor (Department) is rescinding the regulations that established formal procedures for coordination of enforcement activities among the Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Employment and Training Administration (ETA) with respect to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. The Department is rescinding these regulations because they are obsolete, no longer reflect the Department's organizational structure or operational practices, and are not needed for effective coordination among the relevant component agencies. This action will remove unnecessary regulatory burden and align the Department's enforcement strategy with modern, effective, and flexible coordination models already in use.

Policy alert: Non-Governmental, Nonpartisan Organization Voter Registration Services at Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is rescinding the August 29, 2025 policy, Voter Registration at Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies , PA-2025-21, and reinstating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to permit nonprofit and nonpartisan non-governmental organizations to participate in administrative naturalization ceremonies. Such organizations may participate by distributing and collecting voter registration applications and officially registering new citizens to vote immediately following the ceremony, when state and local election offices are not available to do so.

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 12 USCIS-PM J.5 (Citizenship and Naturalization).

Affirmative Asylum Referrals Without Interview

No abstract was published with this document.

• The document does not state an effective date in its metadata — check the rule text.
• The Federal Register published no abstract for this document; read the original.

Recent Court Order on Hold Policies

On Aug. 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order in Red Eagle Law, L.C., et al., v. Joseph B. Edlow, 26-cv-04850-CRB (NDCA), enjoining PM 602-0192, and PM 602-0194.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Policy alert: Investigations and Examinations for Naturalization Eligibility

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to further assess and corroborate the eligibility of aliens applying for naturalization. The guidance reintroduces personal investigations, also known as neighborhood investigations, under section 335(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and reinforces the need to validate the alien’s information and documentation as part of the naturalization examination under INA 335(b).

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 12 USCIS-PM B.1; 12 USCIS-PM B.2; 12 USCIS-PM B.3 (Citizenship and Naturalization).

Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions

This is a proposal open for comment, not a rule in force. It may never be finalised, and it creates no obligation today.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to establish a $103,265 fee, payable at the time of filing, for all H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, which would be imposed in addition to all other applicable fees or payments. This fee would serve as a dedicated revenue mechanism to help recover a portion of the federal government's costs of administering the lawful immigration system, including activities carried out by DHS, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of State (DOS), and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

• This is a PROPOSED rule. It is not in force, may change before finalisation, and may never be finalised.

DHS Proposes Additional H-1B Fee

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing to establish a $103,265 fee for all H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Inflation Adjustment for EOIR OBBBA Fees; Fiscal Year 2027

The Department of Justice ("Department") is making inflationary adjustments to immigration-related fees for filings with the Executive Office for Immigration Review ("EOIR") as required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for Fiscal Year ("FY") 2027.

Genealogy Program Regulations To Clarify the Impact of Federal Records Requirements

This is a proposal open for comment, not a rule in force. It may never be finalised, and it creates no obligation today.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to amend its regulation governing genealogy program related records requests to revise its genealogy program regulations to clarify the impact of statutory and regulatory federal records requirements. This is necessary for individuals who request immigration records through the agency's genealogy program to better understand which records may be requested.

• This is a PROPOSED rule. It is not in force, may change before finalisation, and may never be finalised.

USCIS to Publish New Edition of Form I-485; Older Editions Will Be Rejected Starting Sept. 18

On Sept. 18, 2026, USCIS will publish a revised edition of Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (edition date: 09/18/26).

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Policy alert: Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address the public charge ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This revised guidance stems from the rescission of the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility (“2022 Final Rule”). This guidance becomes effective September 18, 2026.

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 8 USCIS-PM G (Admissibility).

Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends v. United States Department of Homeland Security

Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a decision in Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends v. United States Department of Homeland Security, filed 2026-08-18, docket 25-1512. Published appellate decision — binding precedent in its circuit. The court published no summary with this decision; read the opinion for its holding.

• A published appellate decision is binding precedent in its own circuit. Other circuits may hold differently, and the Supreme Court may resolve the split.
• A decision's reach can change: appeals, stays, and rehearings all alter what it means in practice. Check the docket before relying on it.
• The court published no summary; this event reports the court, date, docket, and precedential status only. Read the opinion for its holding.
• ImmigrationClock reports decisions that establish or change immigration law. Routine individual petitions, asylum appeals, visa denials, and detainee cases are deliberately excluded — we report the legal rule, not the people in a case.

USCIS Issues Guidance on Making Public Charge Inadmissibility Determination

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing updated guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual explaining how the agency will determine whether an alien applying for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident is likely at any time to become a public charge.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a decision in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, filed 2026-08-14, docket 26-1703. Published appellate decision — binding precedent in its circuit. The court published no summary with this decision; read the opinion for its holding.

• A published appellate decision is binding precedent in its own circuit. Other circuits may hold differently, and the Supreme Court may resolve the split.
• A decision's reach can change: appeals, stays, and rehearings all alter what it means in practice. Check the docket before relying on it.
• The court published no summary; this event reports the court, date, docket, and precedential status only. Read the opinion for its holding.
• ImmigrationClock reports decisions that establish or change immigration law. Routine individual petitions, asylum appeals, visa denials, and detainee cases are deliberately excluded — we report the legal rule, not the people in a case.

Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a decision in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, filed 2026-08-14, docket 26-1703. Published appellate decision — binding precedent in its circuit. The court published no summary with this decision; read the opinion for its holding.

• A published appellate decision is binding precedent in its own circuit. Other circuits may hold differently, and the Supreme Court may resolve the split.
• A decision's reach can change: appeals, stays, and rehearings all alter what it means in practice. Check the docket before relying on it.
• The court published no summary; this event reports the court, date, docket, and precedential status only. Read the opinion for its holding.
• ImmigrationClock reports decisions that establish or change immigration law. Routine individual petitions, asylum appeals, visa denials, and detainee cases are deliberately excluded — we report the legal rule, not the people in a case.

USCIS to Publish New Editions of Form I-539 and Form I-765; Older Editions Will Be Rejected Starting Sept. 15

On Sept. 15, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will publish revised editions of Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (edition date for both: 09/15/26). The forms have been revised to align with the recently published Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media final rule.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Policy alert: Participation of Non-Governmental Organizations at Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is temporarily reverting to the June 28, 2017 policy guidance on non-governmental organization participation in administrative naturalization ceremonies, consistent with the court order in League of Women Voters v. USCIS , No. 25-cv-3777 (D. Md. Aug. 3, 2025). Pending final resolution of the litigation, this guidance permits nonprofit and nonpartisan non-governmental organizations to participate in administrative naturalization ceremonies by distributing and collecting voter registration applications and officially registering new citizens to vote following the ceremony, when state and local election offices are not available to do so. As of August 31, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is rescinding PA-2025-21, Voter Registration at Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies, and the related provisions. The USCIS Policy Manual version effective June 28, 2017, found in Volume 12, Part J, Chapter 5, Sections F and H, is reinstated.

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 12 USCIS-PM J.5 (Citizenship and Naturalization).

USCIS Plays Key Role in Takedown of Decade-Long Marriage Fraud Ring

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services played a key role in the indictment unsealed today charging 11 individuals with conspiring, over the course of more than a decade, to orchestrate more than 1,000 sham marriages. 

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Regulatory Changes Required by the Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2022

The Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2022 amended the nonimmigrant classifications for aliens in transit (C) and for aliens serving as crewmen (D) to include individuals who perform ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfer operations to or from another vessel engaged in foreign trade (lightering). The statute authorizes qualifying aliens to seek admission to the United States or request temporary landing permits for a period not to exceed 180 days. This rule amends Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations to conform to these statutory changes and make related technical amendments.

Mandatory Electronic Filing (e-Filing)

This interim final rule (IFR) amends U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations to provide: USCIS may require mandatory electronic filing (e-filing) of certain benefit requests; the process USCIS will follow to require a benefit request to be e-filed; and how a waiver of the e-filing requirement for those individuals unable to file electronically may be requested. This rule is intended to increase digital intake and processing to move USCIS and requestors from a mostly paper process to an electronic process and further enhance the integrity of the immigration system and the security of the United States.

Adjudication of Civil Penalties Against International Marriage Brokers

This interim final rule ("IFR") amends Department of Justice ("Department") regulations to specify the procedures for adjudicating alleged violations of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 ("IMBRA") by international marriage brokers ("IMBs") doing business in the United States that fail to provide required information to persons recruited for matchmaking services or that improperly disclose prohibited information. This IFR is necessary to deter fraudulent marriages and the exploitation of immigrants recruited by IMBs.

9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee for H-1B and L-1 Visas

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending the regulations concerning the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee for certain H-1B and L-1 Visas (9-11 Biometric Fee). The regulatory changes correct DHS's interpretation of statutory language to require that covered employers submit the 9-11 Biometric Fee for all extension of status petitions, regardless of whether the related fraud prevention and detection fee applies, which includes extension of status petitions that do not involve a change of employer. The 9-11 Biometric Fee continues to apply unchanged to petitions seeking an initial grant of status. The changes also help DHS comply with its congressional mandate to implement a biometric entry-exit system.

Court issues Stay: Permits participation of Non-Governmental Organizations at Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies

On Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 705 stayed the USCIS August 29, 2025 Policy Alert and Update pending a final resolution of the case on the merits.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

USCIS To Require Electronic Filing of Forms: Strengthening National Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is introducing an interim final rule (IFR) that allows U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to mandate electronic filing, or e-filing, for certain immigration forms.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Louise Trauma Center, LLC v. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcment

District Court, District of Columbia issued a decision in Louise Trauma Center, LLC v. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcment, filed 2026-08-07, docket Civil Action No. 2020-3787. District-court decision in institutional litigation — binds the parties, not the country. The court published no summary with this decision; read the opinion for its holding.

• A district-court decision binds the parties before it. It is not nationwide law, and presenting it as such would seriously mislead — it may be stayed, narrowed, or reversed on appeal.
• A decision's reach can change: appeals, stays, and rehearings all alter what it means in practice. Check the docket before relying on it.
• The court published no summary; this event reports the court, date, docket, and precedential status only. Read the opinion for its holding.
• ImmigrationClock reports decisions that establish or change immigration law. Routine individual petitions, asylum appeals, visa denials, and detainee cases are deliberately excluded — we report the legal rule, not the people in a case.

Executive Order 14418: Continuing To Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship

No abstract was published with this document.

• A presidential document directs the executive branch. How and when it reaches individual cases depends on the agency guidance that implements it, which is published separately.
• The Federal Register published no abstract for this document; read the original.
• Signed 2026-08-06 and published 2026-08-11. It may have taken effect on signing.

Policy alert: Lists of Foreign Diplomatic Officers Accredited to the United States

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual that removes references to the Diplomatic List (also known as the “Blue List”), which is no longer published by the U.S. Department of State (DOS).

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 7 USCIS-PM O.3; 12 USCIS-PM H.3 (Adjustment of Status; Citizenship and Naturalization).

Policy alert: Suggesting DNA Testing When Issuing a Request for Additional Evidence

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to require officers to suggest Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing as an optional form of evidence to establish a claimed genetic relationship in cases where primary evidence is unavailable, unreliable, or insufficient to establish a claimed genetic relationship, in situations where an officer determines additional evidence is necessary.

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 1 USCIS-PM E.6; 4 USCIS-PM C.4; 5 USCIS-PM C.7; 5 USCIS-PM D.3; 12 USCIS-PM H.2 (General Policies and Procedures; Refugees and Asylees; Adoptions; Citizenship and Naturalization).

USCIS to Reduce Frivolous Immigration Benefits Requests by Reinforcing Evidence Standards

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is clarifying that benefit requestors should establish eligibility for an immigration benefit at the time they file a benefit request.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Policy alert: Evidence, Requests for Evidence, and Notices of Intent to Deny

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding evidentiary standards, Requests for Evidence (RFEs), and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs).

• A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
• The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document — this event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
• Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 1 USCIS-PM E.6; 1 USCIS-PM E.9; 1 USCIS-PM E.10 (General Policies and Procedures).

Visas: Visa Bond Program

This rule finalizes the temporary final rule that went into effect on August 20, 2025, which launched a 12-month long Visa Bond Pilot Program (Pilot Program), and establishes a permanent visa bond program. An alien applying for a visa as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) may be required to submit a bond ("visa bond") to ensure that the alien maintains his or her nonimmigrant status and departs as required. Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.

Civil Money Penalty for Actions in Contempt of an Immigration Judge's Proper Exercise of Authority

This is a proposal open for comment, not a rule in force. It may never be finalised, and it creates no obligation today.

This notice of proposed rulemaking ("NPRM") would implement a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA" or "the Act") that authorizes Immigration Judges, under regulations prescribed by the Attorney General, to sanction by civil money penalty any action (or inaction) in contempt of the proper exercise of their authority by certain individuals. The rule would: define the scope of the contempt authority; provide procedures for contempt findings, penalty determinations, and penalty payment; establish an appellate process; and implement oversight of the use of contempt authority. The rule would also make conforming changes to the grounds for practitioner discipline.

• This is a PROPOSED rule. It is not in force, may change before finalisation, and may never be finalised.

Exchange Visitor Program-Termination of Program Participation, Extension of Program and Reinstatement to Valid Program Status

This is a proposal open for comment, not a rule in force. It may never be finalised, and it creates no obligation today.

The Department of State's (Department's) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administers the Exchange Visitor Program, as set forth at 22 CFR part 62, wherein exchange visitors on educational and cultural exchange programs travel to the United States in the J visa category. The Department tracks the status and geographic location of exchange visitors through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a database administered by the Department of Homeland Security. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Proposed Rule) seeks to clarify the conditions under which a sponsor must terminate an exchange visitor's program and authorizes the Department, in its discretion, to terminate an exchange visitor's program in limited circumstances; modifies Extension of Program and Reinstatement to valid program status in their entirety by eliminating outdated requirements and introducing updated procedures that make use of current SEVIS functionality; amends Definitions to include definitions for "Unauthorized Employment" and "Valid Program Status"; and rescinds the separate extension of program provision for au pairs.

• This is a PROPOSED rule. It is not in force, may change before finalisation, and may never be finalised.

Affirmative Asylum Referrals Without Interview

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations to permit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to refer certain affirmative asylum applications to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) without interview. USCIS still offers an interview prior to a grant or denial of asylum. DHS is also removing the requirement that a letter communicating the basis for referral of asylum include an assessment of the alien's credibility.

USCIS Announces Rule Change to Asylum System to Reduce Backlog

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a rule change designed to reduce the backlog in the asylum system.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

Court Issues Administrative Stay of Certain USCIS Policies

On July 21, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued an order in Venez. Ass’n of Mass., et al. v. United States Citizenship and Immigr. Servs., et al., 26-cv-13038-NMG (D. Mass.), granting, in part, plaintiffs’ emergency motion for an administrative stay of certain USCIS policies based on H.R. 1, the Reconciliation Act of 2025—known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

USCIS Immigration Fees and Related Procedures Required by H.R.1 Reconciliation Bill; Correction

This document corrects the interim final rule (IFR) that published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2026. The IFR codified certain immigration fees and other provisions required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) and amended USCIS regulations governing asylum and annual asylum fees, the new Form I-94 fee requirement, the validity period for certain types of employment authorization, and the retention of the Form I-589 filing fee for every application. This document will restore regulatory language that was unintentionally removed in the April 29, 2026 IFR.

Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility

DHS is rescinding the 2022 public charge ground of inadmissibility regulations ("2022 Final Rule"). The 2022 Final Rule was not the best implementation of the statute. It was inconsistent with congressional intent, unduly restrictive, and hampered DHS's ability to make accurate, precise, and reliable determinations of whether certain aliens are likely at any time to become a public charge. Rescission restores broader discretion for DHS officers to evaluate all pertinent facts and aligns with long-standing policy that aliens in the United States should be self-reliant and government benefits should not incentivize immigration. This rule also revises the breach and cancellation of public charge bonds regulations.

Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations to change the admission period in the F, J, and I classifications from duration of status to an admission for a fixed time period, and additional changes to admission and extension requirements. This final rule will provide additional protections and oversight of these nonimmigrant categories and will allow DHS to better evaluate whether these nonimmigrants are maintaining status while temporarily in the United States. This final rule provides amendments to the proposed rule covering this topic that was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2025.

USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B Cap

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year 2027.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services Rescinds 2022 Public Charge Regulation

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a final rule rescinding the 2022 Biden-era regulation regarding public charge determinations, further aligning immigration law with Congressional intent that aliens in the United States be self-reliant and not dependent on taxpayer-funded government benefits.

• A USCIS announcement describes the agency's own action. Legal effect, and the detail of how it applies, usually arrives separately in the Federal Register or the USCIS Policy Manual.